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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · rash · toast · spell · lie · bay · cap · face

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cap — of ice
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. spell — letters
  10. face — to confront
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. face — to point toward
  15. rash — hasty
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lie — to recline
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rash — a series
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com